Now You See Me…
by FanFicFan909
Summary: Aerrow's new glasses causes him to see his team through different eyes.
1. Eye have a problem

**My laptop crashed for less than 24 hours and I was so bored for the day, shows how dependent Gen Y is on technology, so I decided to write this story idea in a notebook. Pretty old school, huh? It has taken weeks of thorough planning on this story so it may be more updated than all others. Not sure why all my stories are starting out with a fight scene but I guess it makes it interesting. Of course it is AXP people but it will be much stronger in later chapters. **

**Please don't forget to vote on my poll. I need mixed results and remember you can vote for up to 5 choices!**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Storm Hawks but this story does belong to me.**

**Now you see me...**

**Chapter 1 – Eye have a problem**

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><p>"Good to see you again, Aerrow." The Dark Ace spat at the youth's face as he flung his red sword towards the Sky Knight. Aerrow strategically blocked the attack using his twin blades, alive with a blue aura.<p>

"Could've waited Ace," Aerrow grunted. "I'm a very patient person." One swift movement removed the red blade from above Aerrow's head, and the Dark Ace took a minute to steady himself on the flying vehicle.

"Watch your tongue, because it won't be in your mouth much longer." Ace sneered as he swiped the blade in front of Aerrow's face, easily dodged from any injury.

"That the best you got?" The teenager cockily replied as he straightened himself. Before the fight could continue, Aerrow heard a yell come from one of his team mates.

"Retreat Aerrow, we got what we came here for." shouted Junko from his nearby skimmer.

Aerrow smiled before he turned back to continue his fight. He never left anything unfinished. Upon returning to his opponent, the Dark Ace appeared closer than before, and his outline appeared blurry. Aerrow attempted to fix this problem by blinking and shaking his head, but that only made matters worse. The Dark Ace's evil cackle warned Aerrow that he was coming closer, and the bright glow of his blade was more hazy than normal as it was held in the air in preparation for its attack. As though in slow motion, the blade came hurtling towards the teen, although it wasn't blurry enough to dodge. Aerrow pushed his head to the side, and the blade caught a small spike of hair. This deathly action did not go unnoticed from his team members as Aerrow heard a womanly scream echo from behind him.

"_This is ridiculous" _Aerrow thought as he attempted to blink again. Finally, he decided to knock the Dark Ace of the ride. Crouching low, Aerrow swiped his leg out in front of him, hitting the Dark Ace's legs, resulting in the menacing man to lose his balance and fall over. A final blue shot of light from an unknown source hit the Dark Ace off the skimmer and startled Aerrow as he turned around and found the source of the shot. Finn, with the largest grin on his face lowered his crossbow and gave his leader a thumbs up. The blonde drove close enough for the Sky Knight to strategically jump on to Finn's ride and both boys rode back to where Radarr was flying Aerrow's skimmer.

"Is Piper ok?" Aerrow eagerly questioned.

"Yeah why?" Finn questioned back, confused.

"I heard a girl scream." Worry was evident though the leader's voice.

"Dude...that was me." Both boys shared a hearty laugh as they approached Aerrow's beloved ride. Faithful Radarr saluted his leader before giving him a concerned stare.

"I'm ok Radarr. I guess I'm a little tired." Aerrow jumped to his ride and took his seat next to his co-pilot. Aerrow reached for the throttle but instead felt only air as his hand missed the handle. Finn only gave him a raised eyebrow.

"You ok, buddy?" His questioned his team leader.

"Like I said," Aerrow shrugged. "I must be tired." The red head dragged his hand from the seat, following the bike's structure until it rested comfortably on the grip of the handlebar. Revving the engine, Aerrow sped off towards the _Condor_, Finn following closely behind.

The team met up just outside the _Condor_, except for Stork who never left the safety and comfort of the helm.

"You got it, Junko?" Piper questioned the strongman.

"Sure did." Reaching into a compartment built into the bike, Junko pulled out a medium sized crystal, its glow a soft pink as though it was running low on energy. The wallop tossed Piper the rock, but before it could land in her hands, the blonde sharpshooter sped past and caught the crystal himself.

"Finn!" Piper screeched at the boy. "Be careful." But of course her warnings would not cease the curiosity that the blonde held for the gem.

"What do you think it does?" He questioned the crystal mage as he repeatedly flicked the rock with his fingers. No sooner had he flicked the rock the third time that a small wave of pink energy shot out from the crystal, and straight towards the _Condor. _The team watched wide eyed and mouths open as the pink light shook their home and disappeared into thin air. When the ship steadied itself again, the tiny image of Stork could be seen through the large front windows. He was grasping the steering wheel of the vehicle and his eye was twitching uncontrollably. Finn only gave a small sympathy look of apology as Piper rode up and snatched the rock out of his hands.

"You are so lucky the outer layer of the ship is made of titanium." She scolded to the boy.

"How was I supposed to know it would do that?" Finn whined, but Piper was no longer listening. She was examining the crystal. After Finn's little 'accident', the colour of the rock had changed from light pink to transparent and clear. It looked as though it had been completely polished.

"Now look what you've done." The girl held the stone in front of Finn's face, and he crossed his eyes to look at the gem.

"What?" Piper only rolled her eyes at his stupidity.

"That energy could've been used for something else instead of attacking our own ship." Finn was about to shout a comeback, had Junko not interrupted their screaming match.

"Guys, what's done is done. Plus there doesn't seem to be any damage done to the ship. If there is I can fix it." The strongman chirped. Piper turned around to face the wallop.

"Thanks Junko." Piper smiled sweetly and began to turn around, but doubled back when she saw Aerrow rubbing his eyes, which had now become slightly red and irritated.

"You alright Aerrow?" Piper questioned the Sky Knight.

"He's tired." The blonde rolled his eyes at the weakness his leader was showing. Piper only turned around in her seat and headed straight for the _Condor_. She wanted to know what Finn had done to this crystal and she wanted to know now.

The team all landed in the inlet, with Aerrow landing in last. Although Aerrow saw the wall of the hanger bay, he didn't realise how close it was until Junko shouted.

"Aerrow stop!"

The leader closed his eyes and pulled hard on the brakes, stopping just in time. He cautiously peeled his eyes open and pointing straight at his nose was the end of a sharp sword hanging at an odd angle on the wall. Aerrow gasped at his near accident and began walking his bike backwards to escape the proximity of the weapon. Finn leapt off his ride and helped Aerrow off of his.

"Dude are you sure you're ok?" Finn questioned worriedly.

"You didn't hit him with the crystal, did you?" Piper mumbled as she strolled over towards the boys.

"How much of an idiot do you think I am?" Finn turned his nose up at the girl.

"How much time do you have?" Piper spoke casually while crossing her arms. Both looked about ready to kill the other but they were startled by the groan from their leader.

"Guys please. Cut it out for a minute." Aerrow continued to rub his eyes.

"Don't rub them." Piper advised as she pulled his hands away from his face and examined his sore eyes. Instead of his usual bright green, playful iris' resting on a white background, the iris had been replaced with a dull green colour and the white had been stained red with small veins.

"Do you want to come get your eyes checked?" The crystal mage questioned Aerrow as she jerked her thumb out to her left. The leader only nodded and began heading out the door with the girl towards the first aid room.

"I think you better go apologise to Stork." Junko broke the uncomfortable silence in the hanger bay.

"Why...oh yeah." Finn mumbled as he remembered his previous incident, and the three final members, including Radarr, strolled out of the inlet towards the helm, ready to receive a lecture on why crystals are dangerous.

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><p>Meanwhile Aerrow was seated on the hard mattress of the bed in the first aid room and staring straight at the wall as instructed to him, while Piper held a light towards his eye, looking inside. To steady his head, Piper rested her free hand on the back of Aerrow's neck, which he didn't mind. The goose bumps that grew on his neck however had a different opinion. Piper left his face as she turned off the torch and Aerrow sighed heavily in exasperation and boredom.<p>

"Um..." Piper fiddled with the torch awkwardly in her hands. "Can you read the chart on the wall?"

Aerrow shifted his gaze to a poster that contained a few rows of random letters, the rows becoming smaller in size as they continued down the page. Aerrow had never noticed this poster before, so he assumed Piper had put it up recently.

"Uh...A...R...F...L...N...D...Is that right?" Aerrow eagerly questioned his acting doctor. Piper only continued to fiddle with the torch as she dropped her head down.

"No it's not." She lifted her head up to meet his gaze and noticed that his whole face had drooped in failure. He pulled his hand to his head and rubbed his red hair in frustration as he attempted to absorb all the new information.

"So uh...does that-"

"Have you ever thought about wearing glasses?" Piper's question hit Aerrow suddenly and he threw his head up in shock. He softened his face once he noticed her concerned expression.

"No," he spoke softly, dropping his head down again, yet he still noticed that she moved away from him and towards the cabinet. She rummaged through one of the boxes before she found what she was looking for. Piper walked back to him and he lifted his head up.

"These are eye drops," she spoke as she handed him the small bottle. "They'll stop the irritation. We don't have contacts on board so I am going to have to find you a pair of glasses." She looked down and the Sky Knight and curled her lips inwards in sympathy as he squinted to read the bottle.

"Glasses can help you know." She perked up suddenly, causing Aerrow to raise an eyebrow at her.

"Your eyesight it not...that bad." She used her hands to emphasis her explanation. "I mean, you confused "E" for "F" and "M" for "N" which are really close so it's not terrible. But studies have shown that your eyesight can restore to normal if you wear glasses." Aerrow only nodded his head and continued to stare at the bottle, letting a small sigh escape his lips.

"I'm going to find...what you need." And with that, Piper left the uncomfortable atmosphere that stayed stagnant in the first aid room. The leader pulled the cap off with a gentle force and flung his head back. Pulling down his lower eyelid, Aerrow positioned the nozzle above his eyes and squeezed the small bottle. The drop stung his eye a small bit and he tipped his head forward and blinked, allowing the excess of the liquid to fall down his cheek as a tear. He repeated with the other eye and returned the lid on the top of the bottle. With a final sigh Aerrow removed himself from the bed and decided to check on his team mates. He could worry about his problem later and by himself.

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><p>"So anyway, what I'm trying to say is...I'm really sorry." Finn rubbed the back of his neck and rolled his eyes around the room to avoid the deadpanned glare that Stork was giving him.<p>

"I had no idea the crystal was going to hit the ship, and with that much strength." Finn continued to try and argue his case, but Stork was sick of his mumbling.

"I don't care anymore Finn," The merb mumbled as he continued to steer the ship. "I just want to let you know that I hold vendettas."

"Is that what you called the steering wheel?" Finn questioned as he inspected what Stork was holding. Stork looked down at the controls, snapped his head up and gave Finn a quizzical look.

"So are we good?" Finn held out his hand gingerly, as though once Stork's hand left his, he would sprint out of the room.

"Sure." Stork only looked at Finn's hand and nodded his head, knowing full well that if he even touched that hand, he would be sick for a week. "We're good." He smiled evilly as he planned his revenge.

Finn turned on his heel, ready to run out of the helm when he ran straight into Aerrow.

"Sorry man." Finn apologised as he rubbed his head. It seemed that all he was doing today was saying sorry.

"It's ok." Aerrow mumbled as he shook his head.

"So what did Piper say?" questioned the blonde, causing Aerrow to downcast his eyes.

"She...she said I need glasses." The whole room fell silent as they stared at their team leader. Aerrow felt very uncomfortable being on the receiving end of their glares.

"Oh...cool." Finn finally managed to spit out some words. "So I take it you're still tired?

"No I don't think so anymore." Aerrow shrugged sadly. The whole team could see that this news hurt the Sky Knight, but of course, emotions are oblivious to Stork, and so he stepped forward and decided to examine the patient himself.

"Did Piper check for any internal viruses or unusual conditions?" The paranoid merb questioned as he pulled Aerrow's eye open and looked inside.

"Uh...no?" The leader started, mouth open in shock as Stork moved from his eye to his ear.

"You know, blurred vision is a known side effect of being bitten by a Vampire paralyser. Do you have any bite marks on your neck? Those beetles can be crafty and their poison can kill in 24 hours." Aerrow retracted from the helmsman's grip and held his hands up in defence.

"No Stork, I haven't been bitten. Piper is the expert and she said I need glasses. I'm going to see if she's found any." The redhead slumped away from all the concerned stares he received from his team mates.

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><p>Aerrow followed the corridor down to Piper's lab, his hand sticking out and grazing the wall every now and again to get a feel of how far away he was from it. The darkness of the hall didn't help his sight problem, but the sparks that emitted from the lab once every 5 seconds did guide him to the correct door. The Sky Knight tapped on the door with his knuckle and entered.<p>

Piper was busying herself with the newly discovered crystal that they had risked their lives to retrieve, carefully refining its shiny surface. Upon hearing the knock, Piper removed her goggles and looked at her guest.

"Hey, have you found any glasses yet?" The nervous boy asked

"Over there." Piper pointed her finger over to a small bench that held a pair of closed, thin black frames.

"These have no glass in them?" Aerrow questioned, confused. He grabbed the frames and opened them up examining the arms and poking his finger through the glassless eye part.

"You're looking at it." Aerrow turned around and realised what Piper was talking about. In her hand she held the crystal she had just finished refining, turning it at different angles and catching the light. "I think Finn used the rest of the energy in this crystal, so after many, many tests, I have come to the conclusion that this crystal is nothing but transparent, magnifying glass. I can cut thin oval shaped pieces that will magnify to your eyes needs and fit them to the frames. You like them?"

Aerrow didn't know what to say. He wasn't exactly warming up to the idea of wearing glasses all the time. I mean, he didn't care much about his appearance like Finn did, but he knew that wearing glasses would change some things. He looked at Piper, then realised she had been staring at him, waiting for him to reply since she had asked the question. He pulled the corners of his mouth up, without showing his teeth in a struggling smile.

"You can say no, if you want." Piper started, trying to be realistic. "But you don't really have a choice."

_Very realistic. _

Piper had finished cutting out the lenses after an hour or so. The leader just stayed and watched, considering Piper has asked him to so she could test his exact magnification required for each eye. After polishing the thin glass, Aerrow gave her the frames and the lenses snapped easily into place. The redhead assumed that she must've measured the frames before she started cutting.

"Here." Piper handed Aerrow the final product. "You can try them on and see how you like them. Just so you know," Piper leaned closer and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You have faced far worse enemies than glasses." Aerrow slightly chuckled as she left the room. He knew she was right. He was making such a fuss over these things, and all they were going to do was help him see. The leader left the lab to try on his glasses in his own bedroom.

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><p>Standing in front of the mirror, Aerrow made no sudden movements. Dressed in his pyjama attire of grey track pants and a black shirt, the reflection stared back at him. Aerrow leaned forward and pulled open his eyes. They looked less bloodshot thanks to the eye drops and slowly, he stepped back and placed the arms of the glasses on his ears. He wasn't fighting against them, throwing them to the wall in anger, and he wasn't supporting them, admiring the thin shine of the glossy black rim. No, all he could do was stare straight. After a moment, Aerrow left his room in pursuit of his team member's opinions.<p>

The leader walked to the end of the hall and stopped at the door, casually leaning his body lifelessly against the frame. From the corner of his eye, he was glad he could see Piper. Not just because he wanted to show her how they looked, but it meant the glasses were working. Aerrow cleared his throat to make his presence known and fixed up his hair with his free hand, the other hiding in his pocket.

Piper turned around and found the source of the noise. Aerrow slumped carelessly against the doorframe, showing off his glasses in his sleepwear. As Piper's smile began to rise on her face, so did Aerrow's classic lop-sided grin return to his features, and Piper had to turn back to the window and stare into the night sky to hide her blush. It's not that she didn't think Aerrow was attractive before, but Piper was a really smart girl, and she desired a smart boyfriend who could hold an intellectual conversation with her. The glasses on Aerrow just made him look that little bit smarter, and hotter too. Piper ceased her thinking when she realised Aerrow had walked up to join her.

"They look good." She complimented, smiling up at him.

"Thanks. I mean thank you really for what you said before. You're right, they're just glasses." His boyish smile was contagious as Piper smiled back.

"You're welcome. Well, I'm going to bed." Piper suppressed a yawn as she finished her sentence. Aerrow nodded in understanding.

"Sure. Goodnight" And with that, the final members of the team retired to their bedrooms.

Aerrow fell onto his bed, exhausted by the day's events. As the stars twinkled outside and the moon illuminated his bedroom floor, Aerrow allowed his eyes to close and drift off into a peaceful sleep behind black frames, his eyes closing the most comfortably they had since the day had started.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed the start of my new story. Aerrow's sleepwear, hmmm...anyone watch Modern Family? If not, google Mitchell Pritchett glasses and hopefully the you'll see what he wears to bed and that is what Aerrow is wearing, glasses and all. Tell me what you think! R&amp;R <strong>


	2. Seeing the team

**Told you all this story will be updated more regularly than the others. Can't update when holidays are over though, that's studying time!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Storm Hawks. **

**Now you see me...**

**Chapter 2 – Seeing the team**

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><p>A golden ray of sunshine spilled into Aerrow's room and poured over him like a second blanket. The light stirred the leader awake and he released a loud yawn as he peeled his eyelids open. Aerrow brought his hand up to his eye in an attempt to rub away the sleep, only to hit his hand on something hard. Oh right, the glasses.<p>

Aerrow sat up in his bed and slouched. He wanted it to be imaginary. He wanted it to be a dream, but unfortunately the harsh reality hit him in the face as the bridge of the glasses collided with his nose. Adjusting them correctly, the Sky Knight peered out the window, his mood lightening as good thoughts flooded his mind, believing his glasses would allow him to capture the beauty a morning sky in Atmos held. His smile faded however, when the view outside his window was anything but beautiful.

The sky contained black swirling clouds spread thickly against a tinted red sky, resulting in a puzzled look from the leader. Deciding that he wanted to find out what was going on; Aerrow pulled himself out of bed, dressed himself in his usual uniform and strolled towards the door. As he approached the entrance, light footsteps could be heard outside, and Aerrow readied himself to open the door and say hello to his teammate. The door opened immediately without the redhead activating it, which he simply shrugged off.

Piper walked past, her head down and studying a map, a bundle of scrolled up maps were tucked under her arm. Aerrow smiled at her passion for her work and stretched.

"Morning Piper." Aerrow moaned as he restored his muscles to their unextended form. Piper stopped suddenly and jerked her head up, as though startled. Instead of staring directly at Aerrow, Piper examined the frame of the door, running her hand up and down the cold metal. The Sky Knight felt a little hurt that she didn't reply to his greeting.

"I said 'good morning' Piper." Aerrow repeated a little louder, but the mage continued to study the door.

"Hey Finn?" Piper yelled down the hall to the blonde, confusing the redhead even further. The faint shout from Finn asked her what was wrong. "I think the sensor to the door of the spare room is broken."

"Spare room? Piper what are you talking about?" Aerrow could feel annoyance rising in his throat. "This is my room."

The teenager gestured to his room and turned around, but as he did, his shoulders slumped and his arms and jaw dropped. Everything and anything Aerrow owned in his room had been removed, and the surroundings resembled a very sterile, hardly touched spare bedroom. His mouth still agape, the leader turned around to ask Piper a few questions, only to find the specialist gone and the door closed.

Aerrow approached the door, expecting it to open in his presence, but it remained locked. Frustrated with this morning's occurrences in only 10 minutes, the Sky Knight angrily pressed the button to activate the door. When the door continued to stand in its frame, Aerrow took small breaths to calm himself down. He pressed the button again, but realised he couldn't feel the small circle at all. Crouching to its level, Aerrow steadied his finger in front of the button and drove it forward.

A small gasp escaped his lips when he noticed the tip of his finger disappeared into the wall behind the button, and the leader pulled his hand back to him and examined it.

_Still intact, _the leader sighed with relief as he turned his hand around multiple times and flexed his fingers.

"That's it! I'm getting out of here." In an outburst of rage, Aerrow held is fist above his head and brought it down with great force to knock on the door. The momentum of the movement once his hand phased through the door, pulled his body outside of the 'spare room' and the redhead landed face first on the hard ground of the_ Condor_.

Grasping his nose in pain, Aerrow shuffled himself into a seated position. He slowly removed his hand from his nose, mouth and eyes wide in shock as he stared at the other side of the door he was now facing. Shuffling to his feet in a hurried manner, Aerrow stood up to the door, closed his eyes and thrust his hand forward. The lack of sensation in his arm caused him to open his eyes cautiously, and the sight in front of him resulted in a gobsmacked, reactionless stare.

From his hand, all the way along to his elbow, had disappeared into the door. The leader retracted his arm and cradled it, thankful to find it still in one piece. The redhead stared at his hand, then to the door, then back to his hand.

"What is going on?" Aerrow yelled in frustration, but he was silenced by a loud crash heard from outside of the ship. Panicking about the safety of his team, Aerrow stumbled down the hall in a frantic run. He ceased in his tracks as he approached the door, and sighed in aggravation when it remained locked. Closing his eyes and holding his hands out forward, Aerrow ran straight ahead and through the door.

The moment the Sky Knight landed on the other side, he couldn't help but smile as he straightened himself up, but the smile quickly faded as he caught sight of what was in front of him.

Piper and Finn, standing side by side, gazed out of the large windows of the _Condor_ without any expression, staring straight at the swarm of Cyclonians that were rapidly heading towards them.

"Cyclonians!" Aerrow growled in the back of his throat.

"Come on guys, let's fly." Aerrow began a sprint to the hanger bay, but stopped in his tracks and turned around when he couldn't hear any footsteps following him. The blonde and the blue-haired girl continued to stand and stare out of the glass, and Aerrow began to worry as he thought of the consequences of the approaching enemies.

"Guys?" Aerrow questioned as he walked up to them, noticing their glazed eyes as he faced them. The leader was baffled. He knew he couldn't fight this entire fleet on his own, so he decided to stay with his team and protect them if any harm came to them. He braced himself and prepared for the inevitable, expecting a speech on doom from Stork, but found no one standing at the helm. Aerrow sprinted to the wheel and tried to grasp the metal, only to have his hands brush through it as though it didn't exist. The Cyclonians were approaching, and Aerrow was out of options.

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><p>The biggest shock was not when the Cyclonians drove passed the <em>Condor<em>, although that was a relief to the redhead. The biggest shock occurred as they drove past. A talon, wearing his helmet and goggles, looked into the _Condor _and saluted the sharpshooter and specialist. Aerrow dropped his jaw when Finn returned the gesture, turning around as the talon sped off. Facing each other, Piper allowed a small tear to run down her cheek.

"I can't believe they won." She whispered in sobs to Finn. Aerrow couldn't believe his ears. Cyclonis won? When did this happen? Did it happen overnight? Why didn't anyone wake him?

Finn reached out and wiped the tear from Piper's face with his thumb, an action which Piper did not object to. This was weird. Weren't these guys ready to kill each other yesterday?

"I told you we needed a Sky Knight." Piper lightly chuckled, still releasing tears from her eyes. Finn hushed her and pulled her into a hug. Aerrow could only stare.

"No one volunteered, remember?" Finn spoke, receiving a small nod from Piper's head that rested on his chest. "And without a hero, Cyclonis won." The two separated and looked out the window again. It was then that Aerrow recognised where they were. They were in Cyclonian territory.

"Guys. I'm your Sky Knight-" the leader began, but a loud yell from down the hall startled him into stopping.

"Piper! Where's my sandwich." The scream was unlike anything Aerrow had heard before. Piper turned her head to the source and then turned back to Finn with sad eyes.

"Better get that. You know how violent Junko gets when we don't do what he says." Aerrow stepped away from the helm and closely examined his friends. To his surprise, he began to notice large cuts and bruises scattered all over their bodies, Piper with nasty red marks on her neck and Finn with a horrible black eye. It hurt to see his friends like this, but Aerrow didn't know what to do, so he tried to rest a comforting hand on Piper's shoulder. His hand phased through her shoulder, and he quickly retracted it, startled again by the action. Fortunately for Aerrow, Finn placed a comforting hand on Piper's shoulder as she strode away to the kitchen.

"Don't forget," Piper began as she turned around. Aerrow listened to what she had to say to the blonde. "Stork wants to see you. He's writing another poem."

Well, at least Stork hadn't changed.

Finn sighed aloud. "What's the title of this one called?"

"Rainbow bunnies?" Piper questioned as she tried to remember the name.

Scratch that. He had changed.

"Anyway he wanted to see you about some rhyming words, considering you are the best at Atmosian English on board."

"Best at Atmosian English?" Aerrow thought aloud. "Finn, yesterday you said "I ain't doin' nothin'." But the redhead's thoughts went unheard.

"Sure I'll help him. Then maybe later we can listen to some music." Finn suggested. Aerrow beamed. This was definitely going to start an argument. His smiled dropped when Piper returned a small smile and a nod before leaving the room.

"What is going on?"

* * *

><p>Aerrow raced down the hall, phasing through any and all locked doors and walls that stood in his way. He reached his destination and stepped effortlessly through the door of his bedroom, or should he say the 'spare room'. Thankfully, some other objects were still in here, like emergency supplies and other random stuff that appeared to have been stored here because it had no other home. Aerrow rubbed the lenses with his gloves and sighed in relief as he spotted the heavy leather bound photo album. He grabbed it and pulled it down, where he let it drop with a heavy thud on to the floor. He was surprised that his hands didn't fade through it like everything else. Hurriedly, he opened the book and flipped through the pages, examining the photos. Every single photo held no image of the redhead. There were a lot of old photos that portrayed the young Piper and Finn, but when Aerrow remembered his position in one particular photo, he found the space where he was supposed to be occupying empty.<p>

Some terrifying photos of Junko were seen. Where Aerrow remembered lovely photos of a cheerful Wallop, new images of an aggressive, twice the size Junko stood in its place and he looked mad. The Sky Knight avoided staring at one photo which had Piper and Finn standing in the background, looking very upset as Junko cut the ribbon to City Hall at what appeared to be a ceremony. Cyclonis stood next to the strongman, looking very pleased. The caption, "Cyclonis Rules" sunk Aerrow's heart. After flipping through more photos, Aerrow slumped back to a wall, but steadied himself as he felt himself begin to fall through. He found no images of him whatsoever, no evidence that the team ever remembered him.

"I never existed."


	3. Finn is smart?

**Thank you for your positive feedback. Glad you all were not expecting it. Let's find out how different the team's lives are had Aerrow not existed. Alternate history because it's the only way it works. Some mentions of violence. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks. Don't remind me. I don't own the songs mentioned on here either. **

**Now you see me...**

**Chapter 3 – Finn is Smart?**

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><p>"Wake up! You must be dreaming!" Aerrow continued to pinch his arm as he muttered under his breath. "Of course I'm dreaming, why else would I still be here?"<p>

Taking his usual small breaths to calm himself down, Aerrow catalogued all the incidents he had experienced within that morning.

"Ok. So Cyclonis won," he began, forcing a dry lump down his throat as the words escaped his mouth. "Fin is the best at Atmosian English, Piper and Finn appear to be under Junko's violent control, Stork is writing cheerful poetry and Radarr-" Come to think of it, Aerrow had not seen his furry little friend since these incidents began. It made sense though, Aerrow had found Radarr and since in this dream he didn't exist, Aerrow would've never found him and Radarr would have never become a Storm Hawk.

"Maybe I can try and get someone's attention?" The leader began to ponder. He stared down at the photo album resting open on the floor and an idea struck his head. If he was able to lift it, people might recognise a floating album and might be able to help him.

The redhead reached for the book, but groaned in displeasure when his fingertips phased through the book.

"Come on." He continued to grasp the book but gave up when he realised that it was no use. He let his hand hit the ground, and decided not to wonder why he hadn't phased through the floor. He was thankful for it though because it kept him from falling to the Wastelands. The light footsteps outside of the door sparked the curiosity of the redhead, causing him to stand and advance to the exit. It had almost become second nature as Aerrow walked straight through the door; he was almost used to it now. The figure of the sharpshooter walked right past the leader, who had just phased through his door, holding a bag of peas to his injured eye. Aerrow winced at his friend's pain and followed him down the hall to the blonde's bedroom.

* * *

><p>Not a lot had changed in Finn's surroundings, which Aerrow was thankful for. There was still sports memorabilia, clothes in heaped piles and he noticed the record player had been moved to his room. The thin layer of dust resting on it made Aerrow very nervous all of a sudden.<p>

"Ok, let's get started." Aerrow snapped his head around as Finn began to speak. The marksman pulled up a chair to his desk and began writing down sentences like crazy. Aerrow peered over his shoulder for a closer look. They weren't sentences.

"Take initial velocity as 9.81 metres per second per second in a downwards direction...add five on both sides...cancels that...square root on one side means squared on the other..."

Finn was working out equations. Physics equations! Aerrow could only stare in amazement behind his black rims as Finn's pencil scratched the page rapidly and solved the equation. The sharpshooter rested his cheek in his right fist and replaced the bag of peas over his eye.

"My god Finn, you're a genius!" Aerrow thought aloud.

"Where did it all change?" The moment these words left his lips, Aerrow looked up and noticed a piece of paper pinned on to Finn's corkboard. The leader squinted his eyes to read the note; fortunately his glasses did most of the work. The paper was an old school test. A maths test that Aerrow remembered completing with Finn in his tenth year of school.

"That's strange?" The redhead continued to examine the sheet, specifically the giant A plus circled in the top right corner, surrounded by golden stars. "I could've sworn you failed this test."

Aerrow's eyes wondered around the pin board in search for a photo, but couldn't find it under the abundance of exemplary test papers.

"Where's the picture of Dove?" Aerrow's eyes widened in shock as he remembered his participation on the day of this test. The redhead realised that without himself present on that faithful day, Finn would never have met Dove or have any knowledge of her existence because...

"I introduced you two..."

* * *

><p><em>Finn was ready. He had studied all weekend but he was confident that this test would be a breeze. The blonde tenth-grader gathered his supplies needed for the class and walked over to one of the run down classrooms that were scattered on this small corner of Terra Atmosia. The warning bell had rung to remind students to head to class. Finn quickly snapped his head from left to right as he rested his apparatus against his chest and his back against the cold bricks of the classroom's outer structure. <em>

"_Where are you, Aerrow?" The boy wondered in silence, his lips moving to the words as he thought. A flash of red hair to his left brought Finn's attention across as he found his classmate for maths. But he wasn't alone. _

_A tall skinny female that appeared around their age was walking beside Aerrow, and they were chatting happily. Her short dark green hair waved playfully around her face, and her dark blue eyes appeared to sparkle as they rested on Finn. The blonde stared forward with a gobsmacked expression. Aerrow was the first to break the silence when he and the mystery girl approached the marksmen._

"_Hey Finn." He chirped happily. Finn blinked a few times, brought his sleeve up to the corner of his mouth as he slyly wiped away some escaping saliva and stared at Aerrow. _

"_Hey buddy," was his reply, sneaking quick glances to the girl every now and again. "You do know we have a test on now, right?" _

"_Yeah." Aerrow nodded casually. Finn stared hard at the redhead, subtly glanced at the girl, jerked his head in her direction and raised his eyebrows, his blue eyes screaming to his best friend for an introduction. Aerrow pulled his mouth into a huge sly grin, his tongue brushing against some of the teeth in the back corner of his mouth in a cheeky fashion and noticeably rolled his eyes. The redhead cleared his throat and turned to the girl. _

"_Dove, this is Finn, my best friend." He spoke slowly to her. "Finn, this is Dove. She's on exchange from Terra Gale. She'll be joining our math class."_

_The blonde's eyes sparkled with excitement and Dove held out her hand. _

"_Bonjour." Even better, this girl spoke French. _

"_Uh...bonjour." Finn greeted in a terrible accent and held out his hand. Unfortunately he held out the wrong hand and retracted, completely humiliated. Aerrow watched in sympathy as Finn's face flushed a strong red as he moved his school equipment into his other hand, wiped the sweat that was covering his now free palm on his pants and shook her hand. Dove giggled a little at Finn's actions which he only smiled at. It was like music to his ears. _

"_5 minutes left, students." The teacher warned her class as the end of the test was approaching. _

"_Oh no." Finn's head shook out from its resting position in his right hand, where it had rested at the perfect angle to see Dove seated at the front of the classroom playing with her hair. He glanced down at his sheet and saw his worst fear. Two questions had been answered. Hurriedly, he attempted to answer as many questions as possible, but it was no use. _

"_5...4..."_

_Aerrow glanced over to Finn when he noticed his sudden movements and his theory as to why he was suddenly rushing caused him to cringe internally at his friend's misfortune. _Oh dude...

"_...1...pencil's down students." Groans of unhappiness escaped the lips of the other students and Finn raked his fingers through his hair; resting his head in his hands. Feeling eyes on him, he turned around and noticed Aerrow giving him a look of sympathy. Finn casted his sad eyes down and returned to his position in front of an empty desk as the teacher collected his unfinished work. His heart sank. Finn's eyes moved to the front of the class to take one last glance at Dove, considering that after this test, he didn't think he would be allowed back in her and Aerrow's math class anymore. _

_To his surprise, Dove was staring at him, and smiled when their blue eyes locked together. A smile like that was worth a million failed tests. Finn winked in her direction and Dove giggled softly, bringing her hand up to her mouth. He felt better already._

* * *

><p>Aerrow stared open mouthed at the test.<p>

"It's my fault?" He pondered. Finn, still seated at his desk removed the peas and stared at the packet, before shuffling round the cold tiny lumps inside and repositioning it on his injury.

"If I was never there to introduce you to Dove, you would've passed that test and become a genius. It's my fault you're smart but you dumb yourself down to impress pretty girls, just because I introduced you to one! Are you kidding me?" Aerrow began shouting at this point to Finn, but ceased his attack when he remembered that Finn couldn't hear him.

"I'm so sorry Finn. I ruined your life." The cruel truth hurt Aerrow as he watched his friend continue to work on his problems. The sudden noise released from the opening of the door startled the redhead out of his mourning.

"Hey Finn," Piper whispered to the blonde as she tip-toed into his bedroom. The marksman turned around and allowed a small smile to spread on his face. "I got the song, but we need to play it really quietly. Junko's just gone down for his nap."

The specialist pulled out a record from behind her back and handed it to Finn. Removing himself from his seat, the blonde walked over to the small record played that stood in his room and he inserted the large black disk. All three storm hawks crowded around to listen.

"Man I love this song." Finn bopped up and down gently to the quiet but upbeat tune of "Technologic" by Daft Punk. Aerrow only turned up his nose in disgust.

"Me too." Piper tapped her thigh and foot to the beat of the song.

"It's one of my favourites." Finn last statement caused Aerrow to widen his eyes in shock.

"No it isn't." The leader slightly chuckled as he thought loudly. "Your favourite is "Master of Puppets" by Metallica. Don't you remember, I played it...I played it to you." His voice quietened when his brain registered his words. He quickly glanced around the room in search of Finn's guitar, but it was nowhere to be seen.

"You don't rock out because of me?" Aerrow turned back to his teammates who were staring intently on the record player.

"I'm the reason you guys fight all the time?"

* * *

><p>"<em>Hey Finn, check this out." Aerrow held up a shiny black record in front of his friend's nose. "Atmos' best rock group. This was just released last week." <em>

_The smile on the leader's face was bigger than his cheeks could bear, and his friend took the record in great interest. _

"_What are we waiting for? Let's hear it." Finn sprinted to the record player that stood polished and new in the helm, the redhead following close behind. Finn lifted the lid of the player, settled the record into its position and hit the 'on' button. Loud, screaming rock music blared through the speakers of the radio. Finn and Aerrow simply stood facing the player with big smiles, unaffected by the level of the volume._

"_It's a little loud." Finn yelled inaudibly in Aerrow's direction._

"_Yeah, they are good." Aerrow replied, but his voice was trapped by the noise. Finn grabbed the volume dial and turned it to a comfortable level and both boys shared a grin as the music continued to play._

"_What was that?" Piper groaned in disgust as she entered the helm, her hands placed over her ears. _

"_Music" was Finn's blunt response. _

"_That wasn't music. That sounded like something was crawling and dying inside the record player."_

"_This is music Piper, watch." Finn began to play a greatly exaggerated air guitar just as the music played a guitar solo. Aerrow chuckled and watched in amusement at his best friend's act. Piper pulled an unimpressed look and placed her hands on her hips._

"_You look ridiculous. Besides I doubt you could even play as well as some musicians." Finn shot his head up and grinned at Piper. Although she probably didn't mean it, he was ready to accept her challenge. _

"_I'll show you. I'm going to buy a guitar and I'll be just as good as these guys, maybe better." His eyes sparkled at the dream of stage shows and parties._

"_Don't Finn. A guitar will be very annoying to those who enjoy peace and quiet on this ship." Piper's eyes glared at his in frustration, and received only a mocking glare from the blonde. _

"_That's just an added bonus." The sly grin plastered on his face caused the anger to rise in Piper's body._

"_I swear if you-"_

"_Whoa guys. Calm down." Aerrow opened his arms and stood between his teammates; pushing the arguing youths apart. "Don't worry Piper, it's not like Finn is actually going to buy a guitar." _

_The blonde pretended to think and shot his friend's the worst smirk Finn could give. A smirk that sent people running to the hills because they knew he was up to no good. _

"_If you'll excuse me," the blonde walked to the door, but turned around to finish addressing his friends. "I have some shopping to do."_

* * *

><p>"You guys fight all the time, because I introduced Finn to rock." Aerrow ran his hands through his hair, his eyes glazed over and fighting back tears. The leader turned to his friends, and noticed they were staring at each other; the music had been switched off. Finn lifted Piper's chin with two fingers and angled her head so he could see her face in the light.<p>

"Junko hit you again, didn't he?" The blonde asked in a worried tone. Piper merely pushed her head out of his grip and looked away. Piper gazed to the floor with teary eyes and let out a shaky breath. Aerrow's heart tore in two when he noticed the new, small bruise that was forming on her left cheek.

"It's not that bad." The mage stammered and gazed up at her conversationalist.

"We've got to do something. He can't keep doing this to you." Finn's voice was in a whisper but a fierce whisper at that.

"Don't worry." Piper's voice mimicked his hushed tone. "You just watch out for yourself. I can cover most of this with makeup for tonight. I won't be here anyway to help you so you just need to watch your own back."

Piper advanced to the door as Aerrow stared at her in shock.

"Where are you going?" The redhead asked in worry. Considering the number of Cyclonians Aerrow saw riding outside, he didn't want any of his teammates leaving the ship. Even though the leader's question went unheard, Piper did respond to Finn's question.

"Where are you going tonight?" The blonde asked in curiosity.

"I have to get ready for my date."


	4. Junko is savage?

**Here is the next chapter, tell me what you think. This chapter is dedicated to Black. Heart. In. Her. Hands!**

**I know you're all thinking that there was FinnXPiper in that last chapter, but honestly I could never bring myself to write that. Their brother/sister relationship has interested me greatly these past few months so I thought I would explore that a little more, made evident in Fight For You. More mentions of violence here, sorry people!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Storm Hawks, but I own this story. **

**Now you see me...**

**Chapter 4 – Junko is Savage? **

* * *

><p>It was official, Aerrow had turned into Stork. The redhead could feel the anxiety rising in his body, filling his lower right eyelid as it twitched uncontrollably. His mind raced with multiple disastrous scenarios, each one making his blood boil with rage. Aerrow clenched his fists and felt his knuckles crack as the blonde seated opposite him smirked.<p>

"Ah yes, the third date I believe?" Piper hung her head in a bashful manner, and Aerrow felt his upper lip twitch as he snarled in jealousy. "Wow, it's been like what, two weeks since Cyclonis set you two up?"

"Yep, he said it was our two week-y-versary," her facial expression showing disgust at the "cute" word. "Anyway I better get ready. Just, please be careful." Piper had one foot out of the door, but turned as she waited for some sign of reassurance from the marksman.

"Don't worry, I will," he nodded a sad head in her direction and with that, the mage left the room. Aerrow had had enough. With another snarl, he marched out of the room and began following Piper, fists still clenched menacingly.

* * *

><p>Entering the hallway, Aerrow found it surprising to be dark already, an eerie silence falling in the once illuminated and warm ship. The leader felt lost; this was no longer is home. It took him a moment to realise which direction Piper had disappeared to. Squinting down the hall, he found her small frame disappearing in the shadows.<p>

"This is ridiculous" he thought, shaking his head with great concern as he began following the sound of her footsteps.

The mage walked with quiet steps down the corridor, almost on tip toe as she passed the door that Aerrow recognised belonged to Junko. Following her with curiosity, the redhead decided to copy her actions, although he realised eventually that he had no need to. Rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration, Aerrow pushed his glasses up his face, stroking the glass as he did so, and settled them back into their correct position. He straightened up and walked beside her in the corridor where his gloved hand absentmindedly tapped against the wall. He was surprised when his fingers did not phase through the cold metal but in fact, made a sound; a sound Piper responded to.

Fear was evident in the dark girl's face when she turned to the noise; fearing the worst. Aerrow watched on, an arm's length away from the mage who had become frozen on the spot.

A small noise was heard from the other side of the door, like someone had been disturbed. Piper squeaked slightly, placing a hand over her mouth to silence the sound. The noises became louder and heavier, and the Sky Knight stared in panic towards the mage.

"Piper?" Aerrow questioned, almost shouting in the hopes that she would hear him. "Piper it's me! What are you-"

His words were interrupted by the door opening with an immediate and startling swish to reveal Junko.

This was not the Junko Aerrow remembered.

This…this beast stood tall like an adult Wallop, or a teenage Wallop who had hit an early growth spurt. The 'new' Junko did not have a clean hide; the fur covering him stood out at odd angles and gave him a scruffy appearance. His eyes; beady and bloodshot were blinking madly from their sudden wake up. The snarl erupting from his throat caused both Piper and Aerrow to jump.

"What are you doing here?" the monster bellowed in a low voice. The crystal mage whimpered before taking a step back.

"I-"

"How dare you disturb my sleep!" He roared, shaking the ship around them. Skilled in the art of fighting, Aerrow noticed the preparation stance of Junko as he positioned his feet, and there was no way the Sky Knight was going to let Junko hit her.

"No," Aerrow yelled, lunging forward in a precise attack to Junko's waist. Aerrow combat rolled into Junko's room once he phased through the Wallop. The Sky Knight whipped his head around, only to see Piper against the hard metal of the corridor clutching her stomach. Aerrow felt his own stomach churn in pain.

"Explain yourself!" Junko screeched at the cowering mage.

A small glimmer of light caught his eye. There was something shiny was on the ground near Junko's feet…

His glasses.

Another growl from the wallop's throat brought Aerrow's attention back to the Wallop who was now advancing over the crystal mage. Due to his massive size, his eyesight fell short at the small object on the ground.

It happened almost instantly. The wallop's foot collided with the small object and sent the beast slipping and landing on the cold metal floor with a loud thud. Aerrow watched in shock at the sight in front of him, his brow furrowing in confusion.

Why weren't the glasses transparent? How did Junko's foot not phase through them?

The Sky Knight watched in relief as Piper scrambled to her feet and managed to escape down the hall, her feet tapping in an uneven pattern as she hobbled in pain. Junko remained on the ground, sprawled 'star-fish' style on his stomach.

The outline of the beast appeared fuzzy to Aerrow, the Sky Knight realising that it wasn't due to the scruffiness of its fur. With a shaking hand, Aerrow reached out and managed to get his glasses in his grasp, pulling them away from Junko and back on to his face. The leader shuffled himself to his feet and stood tall over the beat down animal, a small glinting light catching the reflection in his glasses. He moved closer, recognising the rapidness of his breath as he spied the crystal lodged in the back of Junko's neck.

A hypnosis crystal.

A small wave of relief washed over Aerrow, realising that his friend's actions were not entirely of his control. The crystal glowed with a creepy red aura that reflected the sky outside. The hunch in his gut warned Aerrow of its evil qualities; its association with the opposition. The Sky Knight traced his eyes back to Junko, a gruff expression on the rhino-hybrid's face, remembering the first time they had met.

"You're still a Cyclonian because I was never there to make you a Storm Hawk…"

* * *

><p><em>Junko yelled in a feat of strength as he prepared himself for the punch. With a raised arm, the metal moved with a loud clang and returned to its correct position. Stork managed to pull the lever back and steer the ship in a gentle movement out of danger. He collapsed on the cold floor of the Condor, breathing heavily at the near doom event. <em>

"_I think we just found our muscle," Aerrow announced proudly to his co-pilot. Flying up on his brand new skimmer, the newly founded leader of the Storm Hawks waved to the smiling Wallop in gratitude, Junko saluting the boy in response. _

"_Cool," the Wallop laughed as he manoeuvred the pedal skimmer down to the terra. _

* * *

><p>Gloved hands raked through his red hair for the umpteenth time.<p>

"This doesn't make any sense," he screamed angrily, more so to himself as he knew Junko couldn't hear him. "How did Junko find his way to the Storm Hawks if he's still a Cyclonian?"

His question appeared to answer itself when another loud rumble was heard outside the ship, a similar one to when all those Cyclonian skimmers moved past the Condor. Junko begrudgingly pulled his heavier frame up from the metal floor, albeit with some difficulty, and made his way to the door.

From the corner of his eye, the Sky Knight caught the guilt ridden expression evident on the Wallop's face. Aerrow couldn't help but feel the smile spreading on his lips, happy to know that Junko regretted his actions. Following the bulky frame down the hall, they had reached the hanger where Piper had returned. Obviously she had responded to the loud noise as well. Upon spying Junko, it disheartened Aerrow to see Piper cower slightly at the beast, but she held her stand just as well as the 'old' Piper would have.

The Sky Knights thoughts were cut short when two large skimmers pulled themselves in to the bay. One held a tall, lanky man covered from head to toe in Cyclonian dress, while the other ride appeared sharp to the stare. Covered in purple spikes, a thin woman stepped off her ride, resting the bike on its stand. Her cloak removed itself ever so slowly, Aerrow's eyes growing wider at the same rate.

Cyclonis herself was on board…with the Dark Ace.

He could feel his anger rising in his throat again. How dare they set foot on Storm Hawk territory! The Sky Knight had to fight the urge to gag when he witnessed Junko's actions.

The Wallop moved in short bulky movements down to one knee, gesturing his hands out in a bow. "My liege."

Cyclonis smirked her evil smirk, Aerrow noticing now just how smug they both looked. They had won the war, and won over the Storm Hawks.

His green eyes followed Cyclonis as she stepped around Junko, the Wallop moving in to stationary position next to the Dark Ace. The evil empress approached Piper, holding her arms out in a hugging gesture. The mage forcefully pulled a small smile before accepting the hug, pulling back to see the smile on Cyclonis' face.

"How's my best friend?"

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><p><strong>Sorry it took so long, but I've been very busy with other work. Glad to have updated this one though. Tell me what you think! R&amp;R!<strong>


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